Firebacks

Description: Cavetto-canted rectangle with central pediment; cyma-reversa moulded edging; central pedimented panel, fillet edged, with shield, helm, crest and mantling of the May family; on either side, an incised floral pattern of a stem and six branches, rising from a rectangular, low-relief panel of two images of horsemen; above, the inscription in low relief.

Notes: The arms of May: Gules, a fess between eight billets Or; crest: Out of a ducal coronet Or, a lion’s head gules bezanty; the same armorial stamp appears to have been used on an unnamed iron graveslab in Ticehurst church. The initials are probably those of Susanna May (c1653-1718), heir to Pashley, in Ticehurst, who had married her distant cousin, Sir Robert May, in 1686. The May family had been involved in the iron industry in the 16th and early 17th centuries, but were no longer active a century later. Incised decoration on firebacks is uncommon, the decoration probably having been incised into the pattern board.

Inscription: 17S M02

Arms: May of Pashley, Ticehurst

Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); shield with recessed edges repeated seven times (3 and 4): a fess between three mullets of six points.

Notes: The arms are those of Courthope of Whiligh in Ticehurst; blazon: argent, a fess azure between three estoiles sable (two and one). Shown are molets of six points which have straight rays instead of (properly) estoiles which have wavy ones. However, the 1643/4 iron graveslab of David Barham of Snape, in Wadhurst church, has the same arms (also with molets instead of estoiles), which were those of his mother who was a Courthope.

Arms: Courthope, of Whiligh in Ticehurst

Description: Rectangular with two-stepped top; twisted rope edging to top of main plate and sides of lower step, reused frame moulding for sides of main plate; top centre, stamp formed of a talbot statant guardant upon a wreath; date below crest stamp; initials in triad, separated by, and below, date.

Notes: Straight elements in the letters and numbers are formed of the same short lengths of twisted rope that are used to form the edging; curved elements appear to have been formed by hand drawing in the casting sand; the talbot crest, which in this instance has been over pressed and shows the shape of the backing, has been seen on other firebacks indicating a common source, and is associated with firebacks with a stepped-shape.

Inscription: N 1615 W / K

Description: Rectangular; ogee-moulded edging on top and side edges; symmetrical layout of date and initials; date split between left and right sides, initials in centre, arranged in triad.

Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals.

Inscription: 17 I M I 34

Description: Composite; Arched rectangular shaped, armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1662 date above crown; this overlies a rectangular plate, with rope-effect, fillet edging; a pattern of four rosettes surrounding a fleur-de-lys, its stem terminating in a small buckle, is repeated on each side of the central armorial fireback, with the initials above; each rosette is stamped separately.

Notes: A variant, bearing the same date, but the initials, A B, and without the rosettes, is at Norton Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 16 62 / C P / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEV·ET·MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Rectangular; astragal moulding on top and side edges; symmetrical layout of date and initials; date split between left and right sides, initials in middle.

Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals.

Inscription: 17 IF 43

Description: Rectangular; plain edging; asymmetrical arrangement of stamps: top right, three 'renaissance' style shield stamps with a 'PL' monogram above two [?]bougets, in a triangular arrangement bases uppermost; top centre, a shield, indented at the top, charged with a bird upon a branch; top left, crowned shield of France Modern between two inverted 'PL' monogram shields above a bird shield; to the right, a broad bladed dagger, point uppermost.

Notes: The dagger is of the cinquedea style, introduced from Italy in the early-16th century, length approx. 38cm; the bird shield stamp has been seen on other firebacks. Wilkinson's Auctioneers, Doncaster, 24 Feb 2019, lot 534 (£650).

Inscription: PL [in five shields]

Arms: 'France Modern'

Description: Rectangular, with double astragal edging; three eaglets, their wings outspread, side by side; the initials IW and SW, respectively, to left and right of the central eaglet's head.

Notes: The design is based on the arms of Wynn, of Gwydir Castle in the Conwy valley of North Wales, the blazon of which is Vert, three eagles displayed in fess or. The initials relate to Sir John Wynn (1553-1626/7) who, c.1576, married Sydney Gerrard (d.1632), dating the fireback to c.1576-1626. The conjoined wings of the eagles appear to form heart shapes.

Inscription: IW SW

Arms: Wynn of Gwydir

Description: Arched rectangular shape; gadrooned edging (top and sides); initials, in separate stamps, at top of arch; date probably in separate stamps, below; spindle used as a stamp repeated three times, one between date and initial stamps, the other two below to left and right.

Notes: The same base board and spindle have been used for other firebacks of the same period. A similar casting (no. 1284) has the 'W' in a slightly different position.

Inscription: I W / 16 22

Description: Canted rectangular shape; braided rope edging (top and sides); top centre, initials 'TSE' in triad, above centred date.

Notes: The use of braided rope edging is unusual. The fireback was formerly in a house in Westmoreland associated with the Salkeld family.

Inscription: TSE [triad] / 1612